Puppy socialization – the rule of 12

Puppy Orbit comes home to join our pack

Orbit came home to us at 14 weeks. This was a new concept for me to wait that long. There were several reasons. I had to wait for her to get all her shots and tests. Also her breeder wanted to make sure Orbit was well socialized before she came over to me. Most breeders do not let their puppies go until they are 12 weeks old. And lastly – there was a dog show I was going to meet her at to pick up Orbit and that date added an extra 2 weeks to her 12 weeks of age.

And we were lucky that Orbit was extremely well socialized. Her litter mates (3 of them) and her parents and their pack (total 4 adults dogs) provided a solid foundation for her manners.

I’ve shared this story with others and also found an online resource checklist if you will of what your puppy should know:

This guideline was written by Margaret Hughes in her book positive puppy training. The guideline states that a puppy by 12 weeks of age should have:

Exposed to 12 fast moving objects:

Experienced 12 different challenges:

Climb on, climb off, climb in, climb around a box, go through a tunnel, climb up and down steps, climb over obstacles, play hide and seek, go in and out of a doorway with a step up or down, exposed to an electric sliding door, umbrella, balloons, walk on a wobbly table, (plank of wood with a small rock underneath), jump over a broom, climb over a log, bathtub (and bath) etc.

Handled by owners and family 12 times a week:

Hold under arm like a football, hold to chest, hold on a floor near owner, hold in-between owner’s legs, hold head, look in ears, mouth, in-between toes, hold and take temperature (ask a veterinarian), hold like a baby, trim toe nails, hold in lap etc.

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Puppy Snuggle Toy:

And for those first few weeks that your puppy is adjusting to life with you instead of her pack, you can get her the following snuggle toy. It has a heart beat and a heat pack to mimic what it would be like for her to cuddle with a littermate or another puppy.